Charles w



(No Model.)

0. W. TROTTER. MAT.

No. 418,299. Patented Dec. 31, 1889.

Win-165m.- 2;? 11c n [0 r: @B m wilrcm v W wam/M 3%W *KMWXLMW UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WV. TROTTER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

MAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 4I8,299, dated December31, 1889.

Application filed September 5, 1889- Serial No. 323,047. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES NV. TROTTER, of the city of Rochester,county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Mats; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and toletters of reference marked thereon.

My present invention relates to metal mats or gratings adapted for useeither as doormats or as gratings to form shelves for refrigerators, orfor any other purpose desired, and has for its object to provide a matthat can be easily and cheaply put together without the nesessity ofemploying skilled workmen; and it consists in certain improvements andconstructions of parts, all as will be hereinafter described, and thenovel features pointed out in the claims at the end of thisspecification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofa portion of mat or grating constructed in accordance with my invention;Fig. 2, a horizontal sectional view showing the means of fastening theend strips; Fig. 3, a vertical section on the line 0c 00; Fig. 4, a viewof a modification.

Similar letters'of reference indicate similar parts.

The body or central portion of my mat or grating consists, in thepresent instance, of a series of metal rods or strips A A, which may ormay not be connected at intervals by suitable cross rods or strips, saidstrips or rods being connected by suitable end pieces B and heldsecurely together. The ends B of the mat are preferably constructed oftwo pieces of sheet metal 0 and D, the former provided with suitableperforations 0', through which the ends of the longitudinal strips A Apass, and connected to two or more of them, preventing their inwardmovement, and the latter D connected to piece 0 and preventing themovement of the strips A A in the other direction, at the same timecovering the strip ends, giving a finished appearance to the mat andmaterially strengthening it.

In the present construction I provide the piece 0 with the side flangesc c, which serve to strengthen it and prevent bending, and piece D withcorresponding flanges cl cl, adapted to fit over and have a bearing uponthe first-mentioned ones, and prefer to fasten the parts together byforming on the ends of pieces 0 small flanges 0, adapted to be turnedover the ends of pieces D,'as in Fig. 2, securely clamping the partstogether, thereby forming a tubular end piece, in which. the ends ofstrips A A are confined. As a means for attaching the strips to the endpieces, I form perforations a in the ends of two or more of them,preferably those on the ends, and. pass keys I) through, outside ofpiece 0, as shown, said keys being long enough to touch the secondstrips from the end, preventing their inward movement, while the flanges0', when turned up to lock parts 0 and B together, will prevent theiroutward movement. The outward movement of the longitudinal strips iseffectually prevented by the outside pieces D, and their hearing againstthe sides of the apertures 0 holds them securely, though, if desired,they could be otherwise secured together on the outside of piece 0.WVhile I prefer to form the end-securing flanges c on the piece 0, it isobvious that they could be-formed on piece D and clasp around the endsof C. The parts constituting the end pieces can be out and struck upfrom sheet iron or steel, and the mat can be readily put together byunskilled workmen at very slight cost. \Vhen designed to use it as afloor-mat, the ends can be made as stiff as may be necessary, and ifdesired the longitudinal strips can be secured together between the endsby transverse strips, the latter being secured in place in any suitablemanner. It is, of course, desirable that the mats be galvanized, whichmay be accomplished by coating the parts separately, or, if desired,after being put together, in which latter event the galvanizing materialwill serve to, in a measure, solder the parts together, and consequentlythis manner of finishing the mat is preferred. In some instances theoutside piece D of the ends B may be dispensed with and the flanges c con piece 0 made longer and turned over, as in Fig. 4, to confine theends and prevent the longitudinal movement of the strips A A. In thisconstruction also the end flanges c perform the operation of locking theflanges c 0 down and confining the locking keys or pins in position.

Other modifications could be made without departing from the spirit ofmy invention, and I therefore do not desire to be confined to preciselythe construction shown.

I claim as my invention 1. In a mat, the combination, With thelongitudinal strips or rods, of the perforated end strip, the lockingkey or pin passing through one of the longitudinal strips, and theflange or projection on the end strip for holding said key in position,substantially as described.

2. In a mat, the combination, With the longitudinal strips or rods, ofthe perforated end strip having the longitudinal flanges, thelocking-key passing through one of the longitudinal strips, and theflange or projection on. the end strip for holding said key in position,substantially as described.

3. In a mat, the combination, with the perforated end strip, of one ormore longitudinal stripsor rods passing through the end strip,

a locking-kc y for securing thelongitudinal and end strips together,located on the outside of the latter, and the covering-pieces secured tothe end strip and covering the locking-key, substantially as described.

4:. In a mat, the combination, with the 1011- gitudinal strips or rods,of the perforated end strip having the longitudinal flanges, a devicefor locking one or more of the longitudinal strips to the perforatedstrip, the coveringstrip having the flanges corresponding to those onthe perforated strip, and means for locking said strips together,substantially as described.

5 I11 a mat, the combination, with the longitudinal strips or rods, ofthe perforated end strip having the longitudinal flanges and the flangeat the end, a locking device for securing one or more of thelongitudinal strips to it, and the covering-strip having the horizontalflanges corresponding with thoseon the perforated strip, substantiallyas described.

(JHAS. W. TROTTER. \Vitnesses:

FRED F. CHURCH, S. E. TRUE.

